Bob Sanders

President, RK Sanders, Inc.

I am fortunate to have helped build a successful construction company over the past 38 years beginning when I was only 19 years old. We focus on government-funded infrastructure projects, including everything from schools and roads to water treatment plants and major demolition contracts. We are particularly proud of a recent renovation of the Performing Arts Center at Scottsdale Community College and older projects, like the building of the amphitheater at Glendale Community College where we teamed with the late architect Paolo Soleri and won an award for concrete construction. I love the diversity of what we do – we may have four projects going on at once and each one is unique with its own challenges and opportunities.

My family is very important to me, especially my wife of 23 years, Chris, who also happens to be the daughter of another AzBL member, Darrell Sawyer. Our children have each made their way professionally including our eldest daughter who is a Chief of Staff with Nokia and works on Google Maps projects. We also have a son who has started his own construction company and another daughter who is an RN and works locally. For excitement I race dirt modified cars all over the West Coast and in the past I competed on the NASCAR modified circuit.

Why AzBL? It’s a gathering of like-minded executives with similar questions and different answers to issues we all share. In some cases, there are issues I can’t talk about anywhere else, especially within my own company. AzBL members have also encouraged me to reach out and meet new people, including my competitors. My marketplace has changed dramatically in the past few years and getting to know my competitors is really helping me to prepare for the future.